Recently I'd been given a couple of unexpected opportunities to share short sermons with my congregation...
A few weeks ago, as I wrote in April, I gave a message about the "Widow of Nain" from the Gospel of Luke, chapter seven. Then this past Saturday I gave another sermon bases on Jeremiah 29:11-14. Both of them were messages of encouragement, and I urged the men to get closer to Christ, to seek a deeper relationship with Him, and to never give up having faith in God.
Frankly, my personal ministry is mostly within the realm of encouraging my brethren to stay faithful to the One who has promised never to leave or forsake those who belong to Him. But as for actual preaching assignments, they're rare. Primarily, my chaplain does most of the Sunday sermons, and so do our volunteer lay ministers. I leave these men to handle the more intricate and meatier themes from the Scriptures.
My chaplain, for instance, is far more experienced than I, and he preaches with great authority. I have watched him as he goes behind our pulpit. When he begins his message, he becomes a different man. He'd go from being the soft-spoken pastor that he is throughout each day, to a man of loud and fiery passion, which is quite impressive to observe. It is, I know, the Holy Spirit that's working through him.
Meanwhile, however, my messages are of the meeker sort, delivered with less energy and passionate zeal. I suppose this is because God still has me in a training mode; I'm not as experienced as he. But one day I hope to have the same level of spiritual maturity that would be needed to take the congregation deeper into God's word.
D.B.
Frankly, my personal ministry is mostly within the realm of encouraging my brethren to stay faithful to the One who has promised never to leave or forsake those who belong to Him. But as for actual preaching assignments, they're rare. Primarily, my chaplain does most of the Sunday sermons, and so do our volunteer lay ministers. I leave these men to handle the more intricate and meatier themes from the Scriptures.
My chaplain, for instance, is far more experienced than I, and he preaches with great authority. I have watched him as he goes behind our pulpit. When he begins his message, he becomes a different man. He'd go from being the soft-spoken pastor that he is throughout each day, to a man of loud and fiery passion, which is quite impressive to observe. It is, I know, the Holy Spirit that's working through him.
Meanwhile, however, my messages are of the meeker sort, delivered with less energy and passionate zeal. I suppose this is because God still has me in a training mode; I'm not as experienced as he. But one day I hope to have the same level of spiritual maturity that would be needed to take the congregation deeper into God's word.
D.B.
